Blotter: Homeowner Gets Lucky When Fish Tank Water Douses Basement Fire

An Eagan resident caught a lucky break when a basement fire in his home was likely doused by water from a broken fish tank.

The resident, who lived on the 3300 block of Rolling Hills Dr., called emergency responders just after 8:30 p.m. on March 30, when he returned home from a long trip and found smoke in his home. Police and fire units evaluated the home, and determined the fire began in the basement. There's no word in the official police report whether any of the fish survived.

March 27

3:34 p.m.—Police responded to a suspicious person call at a hotel on the 2700 block of Hwy. 55. The caller told police he found two counterfeit $100 bills in the parking lot outside the business. Both bills were easily recognizable as fakes.

4:35 p.m.—Police responded to a harassing communications call on the 3800 block of Kennet Cir. The caller told police a Stillwater man was sending flowers to the victim and photos of the her house via email.

March 28

1:43 a.m.—Police responded to a domestic on the 3500 block of Blue Jay Way. The caller, a woman, told police her another man hit her and knocked her out twice, causing her nose to bleed. She admitted she hit him back. Police responded to the scene, and learned that the woman, who was drunk had been picking fights with her father and others at the scene. Police found no sign of injuries on her, and transported her to detox.

March 29

8:09 a.m.—Police responded to a damage to property call on the 1600 block of Pacific Ave. Officers found a cluster of four mailboxes that had been struck by an object.

1:22 p.m.—Police responded to a theft report at a grocery store on the 1200 block of Town Centre Dr. An officer cited a woman for attempted to steal $242.17 of food from the store.

2:13 p.m.—Police responded to a car accident at the intersection of Pilot Knob Road and Wilderness Run Rd. The caller told police an elderly male in a crosswalk was hit by a vehicle. The man was transported to Regions Hospital with a broken femur, and a female driver was cited for failure to yield.

4:02 p.m.—Police responded to an assault call on the 3800 block of Willow Way. A female victim told police a male pushed her multiple times, punched holes in a door and flushed an engagement ring down the toilet—then prevented her from calling 911 before fleeing the home.

4:34 p.m.—Police responded to a motorcyle accident at the intersection of Cliff Road and Interstate 35E. The caller told police a motorcyclist fell off his back and was laying in the middle of Cliff Road. The victim was transported to Fairview Ridges Hospital.

6:56 p.m.—Police responded to a criminal sexual conduct call on the 3800 block of Alder Ln. The caller, the director of an assisted living complex, told police that a female resident at the complex with memory issues may have been raped repeatedly by another resident.

7:11 p.m.—Police responded to a suspicious person call on the 4400 block of Woodgate Pt. The caller told police her neighbor was going out of his way to take photos of her when she is running outside.

March 30

2:04 a.m.—Police responded to a suspicious person call on the 500 block of Hackmore Dr. The caller told police that several kids drove up in a loud, black pickup truck and had been attempting to break into vehicles on the street. Police responded and cited two for tampering with motor vehicles.

3:58 a.m.—Police responded to a suspicious person call on the 3500 block of Coachman Rd. The caller told police that—despite wearing earplugs—he was awakened at night by the sounds of truck in the street spinning its tires. The caller told police he had no idea who the driver was. Police responded and arrested the man for a third-degree DUI. The man was vomiting.

8:10 a.m.—Police responded to a two-car crash at the intersection of Cliff Road and Pilot Knob Road. One victim was transported to the hospital with a broken arm.

6:24 p.m.—Police responded to a harassing communications call on the 4400 block of Woodgate Pt. The female caller told police she was still having issues with her male neighbor video-taping her while she was out jogging. Both parties were advised of stalking statutes.

March 31

1:38 a.m.—Police conducted a traffic stop on at the intersection of Sunset Drive and Yorktown Place. An officer learned that a man had been giving a 13-year-old female alcohol. She registered with a .103 blood-alcohol level. He was arrested, and she was cited for underage consumption.

5:08 a.m.—Police conducted a traffic stop outside a bar on the 3300 block of Hwy. 13. The officer found a man passed out in his vehicle while parked outside the bar. The man was cited for a fourth-degree DWI.

10:53 a.m.—Police responded to a theft call at a church on the 1900 block of Diffley Rd. The caller, a church employee told officers that someone stole donation boxes, and roughly $50 inside the boxes, sometime the previous Friday night. The suspect accidentally left a cell phone with photos behind at the scene, however. Police are following up.

1:36 p.m.—Police responded to a burglary call on the 2000 block of Royale Dr. The front door of the home had been kicked in, and every room in the house gone through. Several items with a high dollar value were missing. The residents of the home were absent during the crime.

4:45 p.m.—Police conducted a traffic stop at the corner of Denmark Ave. and Timbershore Lane. The driver of the vehicle, who only had a learner's permit, was cited for going 60 mph in a 45 mph zone, and violating the terms of the learner's permit. He also ran a stop sign attempting to outrun police. The boy was released to his father.

April 1

9:17 a.m.—Police responded to a theft call on the 1200 block of Eagan Industrial Rd. The caller told officers that roughly $3,000 of copper wiring was stolen by a suspect or suspects that cut through a security fence.

Editor's note: Eagan Patch regularly posts selections taken from the Eagan Police Department incident reports. All addresses in the reports are approximate.

Follow Eagan Patch on Twitter | Like us on Facebook | Sign up for our daily newsletter | Blog for us